Delhi High Court Stalls Demolition Amid Murder Case Fallout

The Delhi High Court has advised the Municipal Corporation of Delhi against demolishing homes related to a Holi murder case without due process. Petitioners have been directed to refile pleas focusing solely on potential demolitions, as existing appeals contained multiple issues unfit for current proceedings.

The Delhi High Court intervened on Wednesday, cautioning the Municipal Corporation of Delhi against proceeding with demolition actions targeting homes of individuals accused in a Holi-related murder in Uttam Nagar. Justice Amit Bansal urged petitioners to withdraw the existing petitions and submit new, more focused ones addressing solely the planned demolition activities.

Amid the hearing, the Court acknowledged the presence of vague assertions within the petitions, with numerous issues, including police investigations, beyond the current case's jurisdiction. The Court emphasized that the current proceeding would narrow its focus to assessing the legitimacy of the Municipal Corporation's demolition efforts.

This development originates from petitions submitted by relatives of individuals implicated in the Uttam Nagar violence, seeking to prevent arbitrary demolition of their homes post-criminal charges. Meanwhile, the Dwarka District Police appealed for calm and urged the public to heed only verified information, following social media rumors concerning the incident in which a 26-year-old man was fatally beaten.